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Camille Claudel 1915: Berlin Review 1:00 PM PST 2/12/2013 by Jordan Mintzer

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nt The Bottom Line Venue /420 An unsettling portrait of the artist as Berlin Film Festival 879) a mad woman, anchored by a (Competition) riveting lead performance. Director-Screenwriter Cast , Jean-Luc Vincent, Robert Leroy

Juliette Binoche stars in Bruno Dumont's disturbing portrayal of the French sculptress' days of confinement and quest for a normal life.

BERLIN -- Those fam iliar with Bruno Dumont’s work can walk into his movies expecting horrific v iolence, exquisite landscapes, lengthy existential silences, and plenty of grunting sex between French townies in serious need of dental care. So it was all the more intriguing when he took on a project called 1915, about the tragically gifted turn-of-the-century sculptress, whose long affair with eventually drove her to the madhouse, where she would remain until dy ing from malnutrition-related causes at the height of the Second World Wa r .

Despite the notable lack of sex and v iolence, this OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS latest effort from the Gallic doom-and-gloom minimalist is very much in line with his oeuvre, offering up a condensed portrait of Claudel’s internment that’s at once grueling and meditative, (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com as well as deeply disturbing in its use of actual /news/berlin-2013-high-point-media- 420807) handicapped people as supporting cast members. It’s Berlin 2013: High Point Media also Dumont’s first film to feature a major star, and Strike U.K., German and Juliette Binoche’s portray al of the ill-fated artist is Japan Deals For Horror 'Community' a study of restraint peppered with brief outbursts of (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com emotion -- a riv eting performance in an imposing, /news/berlin-2013-high-point-media- at times off-putting micro-biopic that’s unlikely to 420807) augment the auteur’s dedicated fan base. Berlin 2013: XYZ Films Launches International Sales If it weren’t for the v ery Dumont-ian decision -- v ia Arm (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com his ty pically concentrated use of close-ups -- to focus /news/berlin-2013-xyz-films-launches- 420802) on the other asy lum patients in detail, the movie could have perhaps traveled farther than the filmmaker's recent Outside Satan or Hadewijch, which have found less favor in art houses compared to early works like Humanite or The Life of Jesus. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com /news/berlin-magnolia-pictures- After all, D.P.-turned-director Bruno Nuytten’s takes-nymphomaniac-420796) 1988 costumer, Camille Claudel, was an Berlin 2013: Magnolia Pictures Takes Lars Von international sensation, sealing Isabelle Adjani’s Trier's 'Nymphomaniac' reputation (she was nominated for an Oscar) and (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com /news/berlin-magnolia-pictures-takes- resurrecting the career of a woman whose life was nymphomaniac-420796) unjustly cut short at age of 50, when she was confined to the Montdev ergues institution in southern France, remaining there until her death thirty years later. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com /review/berlin-review-closed-curtain- Yet it’s precisely Dumont’s insistence on the most parde-420793) unsettling side of his heroine’s predicament that Closed Curtain (Parde): Berlin makes it all the more harrowing. “I can’t stand the Rev iew sight of these creatures,” Claudel (Binoche) y ells at (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review /berlin-review-closed-curtain-parde- one point, as if echoing the knee-jerk reaction of 420793) any one in the audience witnessing the use of sev erely disabled indiv iduals on screen, especially when they’re rubbing shoulders with an A-list actress whose beauty has only deepened with the (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com y ea r s. /news/berlin-interview-director- matt-porterfield-420792) And while many may wonder whether Dumont has Berlin Q&A: Director Matt crossed the line from art to exploitation -- in his Porterfield (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com favor, the closing credits cite several mental health /news/berlin-interview-director- associations and professionals inv olv ed in the matt-porterfield-420792) production -- the choice ultimately serv es the narrative, underlining the chasm separating Claudel from the other patients, and the fact that she clearly never should have been interned at all, (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com at least in such a facility . /review/layla-fourie-berlin-review- 420703) Inspired by correspondence between the artist and Layla Fourie: Berlin Rev iew her younger brother, Paul (theatre actor Jean-Luc (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review /layla-fourie-berlin-review-420703) V incent), himself a famous poet and dramaturge, the story begins where Nuy tten’s version ended, picking up with Claudel after she’s already been at the asy lum for two y ears, and focusing on the short period leading up to Paul’s v isit -- one which carries (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com /review/love-battles-berlin-review- with it the hope of family affection and, possibly , 420344) Camille’s release. Lov e Battles: Berlin Rev iew (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review The opening reels trail Mademoiselle Claudel, as /love-battles-berlin-review-420344) she’s referred to, throughout the mediev al corridors and solemn grounds of the cloistered hospital, which cinematographer Guillaume Deffontaines (Pirate TV) captures in meticulously lit widescreen compositions, whose natural grey -blue color palette recalls the paintings of Johannes Vermeer -- an influence emphasized by the black- and-white tile floors and dark wood decors (courtesy of Riton Dupire-Clement), as well as the heavy robes (by Alexandra Charles and Brigitte Massay- Sersou r) worn by the nursing staff.

Keeping to herself while observ ing the other inmates with a mix of curiosity , disgust and, at times, affection, Camille seems to be more or less in her right mind -- that is besides her fear of being poisoned by her former lov er, Rodin. When his name is mentioned during an interview with the clinic’s psychiatrist (Robert Leroy), it sets Claudel off on a mad rant which shows that, while she may not necessarily be insane, she’s v ery , v ery pissed off at her ex, ev en if it’s been twenty y ears since she broke off the affair (when the sculptor refused to leav e his wife… ty pica l.)

Like many scenes in the movie, the camera remains glued to Binoche throughout her monologue -- this technique reaches its apotheosis in a late sequence where the lens pushes in so close to her face, it might as well be in 3D -- rev ealing Camille’s constant struggle to contain feelings that are forev er on the v erge of destroy ing her. It’s a strong feat of directing and acting, one which confirms Binoche’s dedication to difficult and elaborate roles that tend to highlight her maturity , rather than hide it.

The second part of the narrativ e switches point-of-v iews to focus on Paul while he journey s to the asy lum and waxes poetic about God, nature and his idol Arthur Rim ba u d (several texts by Claudel frere were used in the script). If such scenes are less conv incing as a whole, they allow Dumont to meditate on the poet’s Catholic my sticism -- plus a really nifty vintage automobile -- taking us away from the hellish quotidian of Montdev ergues towards more lofty reflections.

But Paul’s metaphy sical detour only serv es to underscore Camille’s phy sical captiv ity once the two come together in the film’s final act. And while the closing sequences are in some way s inconclusiv e, ev en open-ended in a way that Dumont’s films usually aren’t, there’s no second-guessing a fate that history has already sealed.

Production companies: 3B Productions

Cast: Juliette Binoche, Jean-Luc Vincent, Robert Leroy

Director: Bruno Dumont

Screenwriter: Bruno Dumont, freely inspired by correspondence between Camille and

Producers: Jean Brehat, Rachid Bouchareb, Muriel Merlin

Directors of photography: Guillaume Deffontaines

Production designer: Riton Dupire-Clement

Costume designers: Alexandra Charles, Brigitte Massay-Sersour

Editors: Bruno Dumont, Basile Belkhiri

Sales Agent: Wild Bunch

No rating, 95 minutes

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